Committee

Joan Deane

Founder and Commitee member

Joan became active in victims rights issues following the murder of her son, Russell in 2003 and in 2005 she co-founded AdVIC (“Advocates for the Victims of Homicide”).

Having experienced the harsh reality of the trial process through a victim’s lens, it became clear to her that neither the victims or their families had any voice in the judicial process. Since this time,
Joan has been a consistent advocate for the families of homicide victims to ensure that they are not ignored within the criminal justice system and to expeditiously bring about fairer treatment for families during the whole legal process.

In 2006, Joan became the first victim of crime to address the Judicial Studies Institute and she has given numerous talks on the rights of the victims and their families. Joan was Chair of AdVIC from 2010-13.

Barbara Clinton

Chairperson

On the 19th December 2000, my life and the lives of my entire family changed forever I was told that my beautiful Daddy Paig Clinton aged 59 was murdered in the course of a robbery In Ardee Co Louth. From that day onwards my battle with the justice system started, It was only then I realized that we as a family had no rights whatsoever in this country’s Justice system and that the perpertrators had all the rights this was so frustrating stressful and made me so angry, angry also that as a result of this my grieving process never really happened, I felt totally helpless , Daddy had no voice due to the violent actions of others, and after over four years of frustration with the justice system i contacted Advic and vowed to help other families that had been bereaved by homicide, so their traumatic experience would be made easier than ours was .

Helen Doyle

Vice Chairperson

I became aware of AdVIC in 2014, after hearing one of its members tell their harrowing story on radio. I could identify with the horror of what they had gone through because it happened to me in 1997 when my partner was stabbed to death in London. Shortly after he died I discovered I was pregnant, something I’m forever grateful for, but of course our daughter has had to deal with the loss of her father all her life. The justice system completely failed us and while the laws in England & Wales are now more reasonably balanced, we have a long way to go to improve matters for victims in Ireland. I joined the AdVIC committee to help campaign for a fairer justice system and to ensure families and friends of victims get the support they so desperately need when faced with such terrible tragedy.

Gerard Guinee

Treasurer

I joined AdVIC nine years ago and now I look after the organisation’s finances. In May 2006 my eldest daughter Karen had just qualified as a medical doctor and was looking forward to a great career, Karen was only 23 yrs of age but her life was cut short as she was murdered in Galway on the 12th of June 2006. On receiving this news, our lives changed for ever as a family. There is no going forward after losing a child to murder.

Sharon Mitchell

Secretary

Contact number : 087-9701738

My son Jamie was killed three weeks after his 19th birthday. He was attending College in Belfast and had gone to a party on December 4th 2009. A 26 year old gate crashed the party and mistook my son for someone he had been arguing with and when Jamie went out on to the balcony he was followed and thrown over. He was thrown nine stories to his death by this bloke who we subsequently found out was on drugs. My brother introduced me to Advic and I attended their meetings which were of a great help. Since my introduction to Advic I have now become a member of the committee and I look forward to being able to give something back to a fantastic organization.

Conor Nolan

Media Rep

Conor Nolan was introduced to Advic in 2007 following the murder of his brother, Sean Nolan. He was nominated and voted onto the Advic Executive Committee in 2016 and has given talks at Garda FLO seminars around the country.

Annie Mulvaney

Founder and Committee Member

Annie Mulvaney has been working on victim’s rights issues since 2003

Her Son Brian was murdered in 2000 and her subsequent involvements with the criminal justice system, where she and her family felt lost, inexistent, at times hurt and after 4 long years of ordeal so exacerbated, brought on the idea of forming a support group of families bereaved by homicide.
This was achieved with 10 others bereaved families in March 2005 with the formation of AdVIC

Annie has been secretary of AdVIC since its formation

Since 2005, Annie has worked with others at developing AdVIC into the victims support group representing and becoming the voice of families of homicide victims within the criminal justice system.

Over those years, Annie has been involved in producing the AdVIC information booklets, the AdVIC website and has represented AdVIC to numerous meetings with agencies of the criminal justice systems and conferences

Annie has and continues to be an advocate for families of homicide victims rights working to achieve a more balance process for such families during their journey following the homicide

Gemma Feeley

Committee Member

Winifred Fox

Commitee member

It was 16 years since my son John, was murdered, listening to the radio one day, it dawned on me that nothing had changed, with the criminals justice in all that time.
I was livid, what could I do, about bringing a change.A group of people who were in the same situation as I,was came together and we formed AdVic
It has given me great strength to carry on,as best I can after losing my lovely son

John O'Keeffe

Non - Executive Director

John O’Keeffe is Director (Non-Executive) of AdVIC and its former Chief Executive. He is a Criminologist, Forensic Psychologist criminal law lecturer and broadcaster. A graduate of University College Dublin, UWE Bristol, London University and Cambridge University, he is a life member of Homerton College. John is an Associate Member of Exeter College, Oxford and was awarded a Doctoratus in Gister Studiorum (ad eundem Cantab.) from Trinity College, Dublin.

He is currently Director, Colleges of Criminology & Psychology at City Colleges. He was recently awarded an Honorary Visiting Fellowship in the Dept. of Neuroscience, Psychology & Behaviour at the University of Leicester and appointed a Visiting Scholar at the Dept. of Sociology, University of Leeds. He is also a Visiting Research Fellow, Dept. of Sociology at the University of Surrey.

John appears regularly on television and radio where he acts as an expert on victims rights, criminology and forensic psychology.